Tirupur Industrialists to set up Solar Energy Association of Tamil Nadu as a platform to tap solar in state

According to reports, with severe power crisis continuing to threaten industrial prowess, a group of industrialists from Tirupur region have come together to float ‘Solar Energy Association of Tamil Nadu’ (SEAT) to promote tapping and use of solar energy through a consortium approach in industrial clusters across the State.

“Though only nine persons from the area are initially in the association for registration purpose, it will soon be enrolling entrepreneurs from various industrial clusters all over the State so as to help the industries become self-sufficient in its power needs within a year,” Raju V.R. Palanisamy, a leading textile entrepreneur and president of the SEAT, told The Hindu .

According to the plans, the association will float about 20 industrial cluster-wise Special Purpose Vehicles so as to set up and operate medium-to large scale solar parks in different parts of the State to cater to the energy consumption requirements of the respective nearby clusters.

“The advantage of consortium approach to form such solar parks with capacities ranging from 60 MW to 120 MW is that the credit for setting up solar power generation gadgets could be obtained easier and at lower costs vis-à-vis getting loans for individual solar panels for a unit,” Mr. Palanisamy pointed out. According to him, a minimum of about 60 per cent of power generated from the solar parks will be used for captive consumption of the units which are part of the respective SPVs.

“The remaining power can be given to education institutions and other segments for a price to be fixed later,” he said.